1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a suture package designed to facilitate automated loading of a needle and suture into the package.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is the case with many articles of manufacture, the requirements of the user of a surgical needle and suture --a surgeon or other health professional--limit the flexibility of the manufacturer. The goal is to design a package that meets the surgeon's requirements, while still being easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
In the packaging of surgical needles and sutures, it is important that the needle and its attached suture be easily removable from the package in one smooth motion. When the needle is grasped by a forceps and pulled, the needle should easily release from the package, and the suture should withdraw from the package smoothly, without binding or snagging in the package, and without becoming entangled. Also, suture materials, particularly monofilaments such as catgut, polydioxanone and the like, especially the heavier deniers, are known to take a set during storage; i.e., they tend to have a "memory" causing them to retain the shape of their position in the package after removal from the package. Hence, the package should be designed to eliminate any tight bends or curves required in order to package the suture.
One type of suture package that generally meets the requirement that sutures be easily removable is the "oval wrap" suture package. Oval wrap suture packages have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,961,498, issued Oct. 9, 1990 to Kalinski et al.; 4,967,902, issued Nov. 6, 1990 to Sobel et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,551, issued Oct. 1, 1991 to Cerwin et al. These packages include a structure to hold (or "park") a needle and an oval ("racetrack-shaped") channel for retaining a suture that is attached to the needle. While these suture packages are well-adapted to meet the requirements of the user, they are not ideally suited for inexpensive and automated manufacturing.